House Cleaning: Controlling The Clutter

Jun 7
07:43

2010

Anna Woodward

Anna Woodward

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Do you find yourself constantly wading through a sea of junk you can’t handle? Excessive clutter is an issue that can effect pretty much anyone. Here are some tips to help sort through the mess and get your life back on track.

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Do you find yourself constantly wading through a sea of junk you can't handle? Excessive clutter is an issue that can effect pretty much anyone. With so much going on between kids,House Cleaning: Controlling The Clutter Articles work, etc., general house cleaning tends to take a bit of a back seat at times. In this article we will provide tips to help sort through the mess and get your life back on track.

The first step in any organizational project is deciding what gets kept and what needs to go. If you are dealing with clutter issues, there is a fairly good chance that you may be a bit of a pack rat. Sentimental items can be hard to let go of, but then again, there are simply too many items that people hold onto that we'll never really need. When was the last time you actually required the assistance of 1962's federal tax return? Precisely! It's just added clutter.

The best way to begin sorting is to designate three piles.

Pile one is the trash pile. These are items that you haven't had a use for in over a year, and that you can honestly say you won't have a need for in the next 6 months.

Pile two is the sale pile. This pile is for items that are still in good, working condition but that you have no real need for. Instead of trashing them, you'll be able to get them to someone that will actually care for them, while putting a few extra bucks in your pocket. While you're at it, you can even use that money towards purchasing additional organizational tools.

Pile three is for keepers. These are the things that you really need in order to function. The goal with this process is to get the keeper pile down to a manageable size. This is done by way of continuing to sort through the keeper pile. If these things were needed, they wouldn't have made it to ANY pile.

Once you've sorted through all the clutter and made your big trip to the dump, added old business files to the storage locker, and made yourself a little chunk of change, it's time to take a day and sort through the remainder of the house.

Gradually sort through the keeper pile and put each item in its designated place. Don't get discouraged: once you break your rhythm, it'll be hard to get going again. Knock it out in one sweep through. Before you know it, you'll begin to see progress. You'll start to remember where things go and what it's life to breath freely again.

All it takes is a simple decision and if you are truly committed to the idea of a clutter-free home, take a deep breath, smile, and GET IT DONE.